05/08/2026
Wood River middle school robotics students Jake Blacker and Jesse
Green represented Blaine County on the world stage after qualifying for the prestigious VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis.
Competing against some of the top student robotics teams from around the globe, Blacker and Green delivered an impressive performance, finishing the tournament with a .500 record and
earning five match victories during the championship event.
Their achievement marks one of the strongest performances ever recorded by a Blaine County team at the VEX World Championship, highlighting both the students’ technical skills and dedication throughout the season. The VEX World Championship brings together elite robotics teams that advance through regional and state qualifying events. Teams are challenged to design, build, and program robots capable of completing complex engineering and strategy-based tasks in head-to-head competition.
Their robotics teacher, Mr. Silvis, said he is extremely proud of the hard work and dedication the students have shown throughout the year. “They have spent many hours outside of school designing, building, and coding a robot that was able to compete on the global stage,” Silvis said. “Their commitment, teamwork, and
perseverance truly paid off.” “Jake and Jesse represented our community with tremendous determination, teamwork, and
sportsmanship,” Silvis said. “Qualifying for worlds is an accomplishment on its own, and their performance against international competition was outstanding.”
The team also expressed gratitude to the many community organizations and supporters who helped make the trip to the world championship possible through fundraising efforts, including
the Papoose Club, Lions Club, Hailey Rotary, Strauss Generational Family Charitable Fund, and the Idaho STEM Action Foundation.
The success of the team reflects the growing strength of robotics and STEM education programs in Blaine County and serves as an inspiration for younger students interested in engineering, coding, and technology.